Solubility of water in lime-alumina-silica melts

The water solubility in fused silicates of the CaO-SiO₂ and CaO-SiO₂-Al₂O₃ systems has been measured using a vacuum fusion technique. The melts were equilibrated with nitrogen as “carrier gas” containing an accurately known water content. The solubility of water increased on the addition of lime to the melts of both systems. The effect of alumina is initially, to decrease the solubility. Additions above about 20 wt pct at a constant basicity of 0.6 however raised the water solubility of lime-silica melts. From the plot of oxygen density against the hydrogen concentration of the silicate melts of the system lime-silica-alumina studied in this investigation, it may be concluded that free hydroxyls take up interstitial positions in the silicate network. Wustite additions to lime-silica melts of basicity equal to 1 do not appear to influence the water solubility, although the rate of gas absorption from the furnace atmosphere is accelerated significantly. P. L. SACHDEV, formerly Graduate Student, Institut für Eisenhüttenwesen R. W. Technische Hochschule Aachen, West Germany A. MAJDIČ, formerly Senior Engineer, Institut für Eisenhüttenwesen R. W. Technische Hochschule Aachen